Hairball and Nymphikins
by Triscribe
Summary: "Actually, I've lived with the Tonks family in a muggle town." A student sitting fairly close by choked on his food. "You mean you grew up with that ruddy Metamorphmagus for a sister!" Another of my 'Harry raised by someone other than the Dursleys' AU.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Things were relatively quiet in the Burrow that summer day, with Arthur getting some work done at in his storage shed, his wife tidying up in the house, and their collection of children entertaining themselves out in the sunshine.

So, it came as a surprise when the second eldest Weasley child came seeking his father.

"Hey, Dad?" Arthur looked up as Charlie poked his head in. "You remember my friend Tonks, right? Nymphadora Tonks?"

"More or less, yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I got a letter from her this morning, and the thing is, her mum's caught something nasty and has to go stay in St. Mungo's for a week or two, and since he needs to work her dad has to leave Tonks and her little brother at home during the day. Do you think we could have them over, instead?"

"That's awful nice of you, Charlie. I'm sure we can work something out. I didn't know Andromeda and Ted had another child, though - how old is he?"

"Ron's age, I'm pretty sure. And he's actually something like a distant cousin, I think, that they took in when his parents died in the war."

Arthur paused, considering the possibilities contained within that statement. He shook it off after a moment, to smile reassuringly at the fourteen year old. "Like I said, I think we can arrange it. I'll shoot a letter off to Ted tonight, alright?"

"Brilliant! Thanks, Dad!"

 _A/N: IMPORTANT NOTICE_

 _This story is part of my HP Round Table Project. Every Thursday, I'm updating a different onf of seven Harry Potter AUs, so that over the course of seven weeks they all get a new chapter (since I have a history of losing inspiration and letting stuff sit stagnant for months at a time). After the first seven week period, I start over, but the order in which these stories are updated changes depending on what was the most popular during the previous chunk of time._

 _So, if you really like this or one of the others, be sure to let me know!_

 _-Triscribe_


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Despite all that Nymph had told him about the place, Harry still gasped when he first saw Hogwarts. Torchlight poured out of hundreds of windows, setting the castle walls and towers to glowing, which reflected in the lake's waters and outshone even the stars.

Inside, it was even more impressive. After years of spending time in the muggle world, it was doubly impressive to suddenly be surrounded by ancient stone and warded wood. Harry didn't bother trying to hide that he was studying everything around him, as every other eleven year old was doing the same.

Then they reached the Great Hall, and it was time for the Sorting.

The hat's song was amusing enough, but the real torture was waiting through the children whose last names came before 'Potter'. Eventually, though, Harry's turn came, and he only vaguely noticed the brief pause Professor McGonagall had before calling for him, and then the startled and excited whispers that broke out through the Hall. He hurried to take his seat on the stool, followed by floppy cloth obscuring his vision.

"Oh, my my my, this is quite a surprise." A voice muttered in his ear. "You're a very even blend, aren't you Mister Potter? Quite studious, I see, and loyal to the family who took you in. Not shirking in courage, either, though you're very determined to do well in school and beyond."

 _I'm famous for something I don't even remember,_ Harry said in his thoughts. _If I'm doomed to being a household name, then I want it to be on MY terms._

"Well, I certainly can't argue with that. Which would mean that the best place for you is in SLYTHERIN!" Applause instantly broke out from one quarter of the room, though the snakes who were clapping seemed just as stunned as the other, silent tables.

Harry hurried over to claim the seat beside a smirking boy he considered to be a first cousin. "I knew you'd wind up in here with me," Draco Malfoy said smugly.

"Shut it, you." Harry replied with a grin. "We can celebrate later."

As the last new first year took his seat, everyone turned their attention to Headmaster Dumbledore. His 'few words' incited much quiet snickering among the Slytherins, but then they were suitably distracted by the arrival of food.

"So, Potter," one of the other newcomers, Blaise Zabini spoke up after a while. "What exactly is it that brings you to Slytherin?"

"Cunning and ambition, I should think, same as any of you." He answered back promptly. Up and down the table, Harry could see the older students looking at him with calculating gazes, probably all thinking the same question. "It also helps that I grew up going through prank wars with my big sister, and both of us were trained by a former Slytherin in her own right."

"Oh?" A girl he'd heard about from Draco, one Pansy Parkinson, suddenly looked a lot more interested. "And who exactly was that teacher?"

"My distant cousin Andromeda, formerly of the House of Black. She's also Draco's oldest aunt."

The intrigued looks now included the blonde to Harry's left, who appeared to be equal parts happy and mortified with the attention.

"Didn't she marry a muggleborn, though?" Another girl, presumably Daphne Greengrass, asked haltingly.

"That she did. So I wa raised by the Tonks family in a muggle town. Quite interesting, actually, to mix non-magical pranking materials into the battles with Nymph."

A sixth year sitting fairly close by choked on his food. "You mean you grew up with that ruddy Metamorphmagus for a sister?"

"Yep."

"But she was in Hufflepuff!"

"And is now training to be an Auror." Harry remarked lightly. He smiled on the inside at see the growing uneasiness of some of the older students - Nymphadora might not have been such a big prankster as, say, the Weasley twins, but plenty of people knew she'd pulled off some pretty inventive revenge tricks against those she felt deserved it.

And if Harry turned out to have that same vindictive streak, along with even _half_ the imagination, it would pay to be extremely careful around him.

Once the feast was over with, and Dumbledore gave a proper speech (the warnings within which ranged from amusing to disturbing), the students rose and began to head out of the Great Hall. Harry was keeping close to his fellow first year snakes when a familiar pair of voices called out to him. He turned with a smirk towards the approaching Fred and George Weasley.

"Just wanted to give our favorite Boy-Who-Lived a congratulations-"

"-on making it into the house of his choice!" The twins grinned at him.

"Thanks, mates." Harry was fully aware of the gaping stares being directed at him, and felt confident enough to offer the pair of redheads a wink. "I look forward to challenging your reign while I'm here."

"Ooh, so the ickle firstie thinks he's going-"

"-to get one over on us, does he?"

"Well, I _am_ the Marauder heir." Both twins blanched momentarily at that, but quickly regained their usual smirks.

"We'll just see about that, won't we Forge?"

"Indeed we will, Gred. Oh, and in the meantime, Harry-"

"-if that younger brother of ours gives you any trouble-"

"-don't hold back on showing him the error-"

"-of his ways, yeah?"

"Why in Merlin's name would I ever hold back?" And with another grateful wink, Harry turned back to his classmates, all of whom except Draco were looking more worried than ever.

Once again, the boy thought back to his Uncle Ted's concerns over bullying problems should he be sorted into Slytherin, and had to stifle a laugh. The first night wasn't even over yet, and already his fellow snakes were making plans to avoid earning his wrath.

Down in the dungeons, Harry was directed to his new dormitory along with Draco, Blaise, Greg Goyle, Vincent Crabbe, and another boy named Theo Nott. He offered the others a proper introduction, and the chance to question him a little bit more on his family, before faking a yawn and preparing to turn in. As soon as he was certain the rest were all asleep, Harry carefully slipped over to his truck and pulled out two items - one was a small hand-held mirror, and the other was a great, shimmering expanse of cloth.

His Invisibility Cloak, to be precise.

Wrapping himself in the enchanted garment, Harry slipped out of the dormitory and back to the common room, which had become blessedly empty. Once he was tucked away in a secluded corner, the boy positioned his mirror.

"Padfoot?"

Almost instantly, the surface of the thing shimmered, and changed from Harry's reflection to a much older, more rugged face, which was wearing a delighted grin.

"Hey pup!" Sirius Black greeted him. "How is it so far?"

"Absolutely brilliant," Harry answered back with a matching grin. "The castle's amazing, the train trip went fine, and - I made it into Slytherin with Draco."

Sirius gave an exaggerated sigh. "Well, I guess that means I failed to convince you that Gryffindor's where all the fun happens."

"And give Fred and George unlimited access at pranking me? No thank you."

"Hm, guess I can't argue with that logic. But why not Ravenclaw, or even Hufflepuff? I'm going to worry about you an awful lot, down in those dungeons."

"I know, and I'm sorry Padfoot, but I really do think this is where I'll do my best." Harry explained to his godfather for perhaps the hundredth time. "Besides, with my being down here, maybe I'll be able to start undoing some of that stereotype of the 'evil snakes' that you and so many others have."

"Yeah yeah, start a revolution why don't you. But don't forget, pup, you're supposed to balance the working with having fun too, right?"

"I will. You _know_ that I'll be setting up pranks in no time, Padfoot." He chuckled as the man's expression turned suddenly wistful.

"I can still remember getting the letter from Andy about your first successful pranking of Nymph - proudest day of my life."

"Yeah, and worst day of Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted's, 'cause that's what set everything else off."

"Yes, well, for all their complaints, I know they enjoyed seeing how much more dedicated to her studies Nymph became in an effort to get back at you." Sirius winked.

"And yet, she never realized I was able to get around so many of her spells because I was reading the textbooks behind her back." Harry paused and bit his lip. "You don't think I'll get in trouble for that now, do you Padfoot? Already knowing the material we're supposed to be learning for the first time..."

"Pup, you might be familiar with the theory, but you haven't gotten any actual practice yet." Sirius reassured him. "Studying a bit early just means you'll have an easier time getting through the homework, without needing to do quite as much research."

"That might be true for Transfiguration and Charms, but what about Potions? Aunt Andy's had me helping in her workshop for years now..."

"And you'll need all the advantages you can get in that class! Take it from me, Harry, you might be in his house now, but don't think for a second that Snape will actually go easy on you."

To _that_ particular concern, Harry's response was a lazy smirk. "Then I'll just have to show him why I deserve to be here."

"Heh. Just don't get in over your head, pup. Snivellus fought nasty when he was a student, but now that he's a professor, he might very well try to have you expelled."

"I'd like to see him try."

The pair continued to chat for a little while longer, until Harry truly began to yawn and Sirius fussed at him for staying up to late on his first night at Hogwarts.

"Don't worry about writing any letters tonight, either, I'll be sure to let the rest of the family know you're settling in alright."

"Thanks, Padfoot."

"Just be sure to write Andy and your sister before the week's out, alright? Last thing I need is for those two witches to come track me down in anger over no news directly from you!"

"Now how would they be able to find you, if the entire DMLE hasn't had any luck in the last ten years?" Harry and his godfather shared a laugh, said goodnight, and closed down the connection between their mirrors. Glad to have gotten through the conversation undisturbed, the boy got to his feet and headed back to his bed.

So far, his first year at Hogwarts was starting off on a very good note indeed.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When he headed up to breakfast the next morning, Harry nearly ran into the group of first year Gryffindor boys outside the Great Hall. The two he didn't know looked appropriately leery, and Ron was clearly a bit out of sorts, but Neville, at least, seemed to be taking things in stride.

"Hullo Harry." The slightly chubby boy smiled.

"Wotcher, Nev! Good first night?"

"Not bad, at any rate." In Neville speech, that was the equivalent of a standing ovation. And considering how much he'd clearly enjoyed the occasional visit to the Tonks household just as an escape from his frightful grandmother, Harry wasn't surprised in the least.

"And you, Ron?"

"It was alright." The redhead muttered, clearly uncomfortable to be talking with a Slytherin - even if it was one he'd known for years.

"I hope we get some good classes together." Harry decided to go on. "Though maybe not Potions - I'd hate to be constantly showing you up."

Ron snorted. "In your dreams, Potter." Grinning, Harry just waved a farewell as he headed for the Slytherin table. He was well aware that many of his housemates had seen at least a bit of the interaction, and coupled with the conversation with the twins the night before, it was entirely likely at least someone would confront him over 'fraternizing with the enemy', as Padfoot would put it.

Harry headed for a relatively clear spot, just across from Theo Nott, the only other first year already present. Not surprised by the lack of conversation, he simply focused on filling his plate and eating quietly.

"You do realize the sort of impression you're making," Theo suddenly spoke, so softly that Harry had to strain to hear him. "Consorting with the likes of them."

"I've been 'consorting' for years now. I'm hardly going to let go of my old friends now just because we wound up in different houses." Harry replied neutrally.

"That's how a proper Slytherin would conduct themselves."

"As the Sorting Hat said, I'm a fairly even blend of the different House qualities. As it is, I expect to do quite well as an atypical Slytherin."

Theo eyed him warily, but apparently decided that continuing the debate wouldn't be worth it. The rest of their yearmates arrived not long after, Draco in the lead and bringing them over directly.

As soon as the blonde sat down, Harry rolled his eyes. "Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look when strutting?"

"What do you mean?" Draco demanded, ignoring the sudden surprised snorts and giggles of their fellow first years.

"Honestly, Draco, it's like you're copying the peacocks at your manor. It's fine for arrogant birds, but please try to exercise some humility and walk normally, or else I'll be hard pressed not to groan every time you enter a room." As the boy's cheeks reddened and others were distracted by their laughter, Harry leaned over to deliver a whispered warning. "Remember what Aunt Andy told us about making friends, not followers? You're off to a bad start with behavior like that."

"Oh. But it's how my father-"

"It's how your father, who is wealthy and an important backstage manipulator at the Ministry, is allowed to act because there aren't many people with the money or power to knock him down a peg. _You_ , on the other hand, have only just started school and it's going to be a while before you're an upper year with actual power. So for pity's sake, don't go around antagonizing people who've already reached positions more important than yours!" When they were younger, Harry had started to drive home the point that just because he had an influential father, Draco couldn't always rely on his support - doing so also made him a huge prat, something that the blonde found very insulting. He'd gotten better as the years went on, but still fell back onto old habits from time to time.

Suitably abashed, Draco nodded his thanks, before diving into the breakfast foods. Harry merely returned to sipping at his pumpkin juice, occasionally glancing around to see if anything interesting was happening, both at the Slytherin and other tables.

The other pair of Gryffindor boys, he was sorry to realize, had scooted away to give Neville and Ron a wide berth. Further down the table was a bushy haired girl with her nose in a book, being easily ignored by her housemates. Frowning, Harry compared that scene to the Hufflepuff table, where the first years were sitting together while talking to the older students gathered closely around them. At the Ravenclaw table, it was different again, with the new children interspersed among their housemates and eagerly absorbing the conversations going on around them.

Harry shook his head, marveling at all the inconsistencies. He debated whether it would be worth it to quietly reach out to the less well-adjusted first years of the various houses, but in the end decided to wait until he'd learned a bit more about them.

It was right about then that the different Heads of House began to hand out course schedules.

Steeling himself for the inevitable, Harry sat with remarkable restraint as Professor Snape drew closer and closer, not so much 'handing' as 'slapping' out the different sheets of parchment to his students. Draco, too, became much more still as the Potions Master approached, and the other first year Slytherins noticed and grew quiet themselves.

"Mister Potter." The professor sneered as he stopped beside Harry's seat. "I do hope you realize that while Gryffindor House may be the den of brutish troublemakers and blatant rulebreakers, we in Slytherin do not tolerate such obvious disregard for rules and authority."

"I wouldn't dare suggest otherwise, sir." Harry said as respectfully as possible. He knew all about the bullying actions of the Marauders towards Severus Snape in their school days, and that he would have to be extra careful so as to not arouse the man's misplaced anger. "I know others often look down on our House, unfairly, and intend to do what I can to rectify past acts of certain idiots." He felt a glow of inner triumph at the startled blink Professor Snape gave him, but retained his outer, neutral expression.

"We shall see about that, Mister Potter." A schedule with his name on it was thrown onto the table, and then the Potions Master was moving on, distributing the rest. Harry released a sigh of relief, and only then noticed the stares his yearmates were directing towards him.

"What was _that_ about?" Pansy managed to ask first.

"My father and his friends behaved pretty rotten towards the Professor when they were all students here," Harry explained carefully, not wanting to give too much away. "My current family was a bit worried he'd take out that old anger on me, but I think I've gotten myself a chance at being treated fairly now."

"Blimey," Greg muttered, awestruck. "An' you actually _wanted_ to be in Slytherin?"

"I like a challenge!" Draco snorted at his cousin's cheerful response.

"Understatement of the year, Potter."

The rest of breakfast, thankfully, was uneventful, and soon enough the students were getting up and preparing to head off to classes. Harry, Draco and the others set off to find the Charms classroom, joining up with the Ravenclaw first years along the way.

It ended up being a very exciting first day, seeing more of the castle and meeting several of his teachers. But at the end of it, Harry had to sit himself down for a very important task.

 _Dear Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted,_

 _Hogwarts is definitely turning out to be all that you said it was! We've just got back from dinner, and to be honest I'm not entirely sure how average evening meals are supposed to be different from the Feasts - there was definitely the same amount of food present!_

 _I talked to Padfoot last night, and he promised to pass along the news - I made it into Slytherin! The Hat (and why couldn't you or Nymph ever just TELL me it was a hat?) said I would have fit with any of the Houses, but I'm really glad I got where I wanted to go. I won't have my first class with Professor Snape until tomorrow, but we talked a little this morning when he was handing out the schedules. Well, I talked, and he warned, at any rate. I think we're getting off to as good a start as could be hoped for, though._

 _I've finally gotten to meet the different pureblood kids that Draco's told me about, as they've mostly wound up in Slytherin with us (surprise surprise). There are a few others well, that I'll probably write more about as I get to know them better. I also got to see Neville and Ron (we'll have quite a few classes together, I'm happy to say, despite their being in Gryffindor), along with the other Weasleys. They don't seem like they'll be treating me any different, for the most part, which is nice. I'm thinking of trying to make more friends from the other Houses, so that I have allies in all corners. Might not work out all that well, but I still plan on trying._

 _Love to you both,_

 _Harry_

 _P.S. Draco's trying to convince me to try out for the Quidditch Team, since he thinks I'm a much better flyer than their current Seeker. I doubt anything will come of it, but I wanted to give you a heads up, just in case._

One letter down, he pulled out another sheet of parchment for the next.

 _Dear Nymphikins,_

 _A hat? Students are sorted into their Houses by an enchanted HAT? Why in Merlin's name didn't you just tell me, instead of making up those stories about an obstacle course with deadly plants and booby-traps?!_

 _You are such a horrid sister. I can't believe I ever listened to you._

 _On to other subjects, I think the years of messing with you were just the right training I needed in order to fit in with my fellow Slytherins. Already, I've managed to intimidate most of them into keeping quiet around me, which will be quite nice. One older student at the Welcoming Feast even choked when he realized YOU were my big sister._

 _Professor Snape tried to threaten me into behaving this morning when he was delivering the different schedules - I don't think he was expecting my response, when I told him I wanted to try and fix some of the bad blood caused by the Marauders. We'll see whether I've made any real difference when I have Potions tomorrow, though._

 _Draco has been telling me about the current Slytherin Seeker, and he seems to think I could beat this bloke even as a first year. If I get a tryout and make it onto the team, would you plant the seed with Auntie and Uncle, or else Padfoot, about getting me a broom to use? Supposedly the school ones aren't very good, but I don't want to ask myself just in case they decide I'm being too greedy._

 _Love,_

 _Harry_


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 _Dear Harry,_

 _Your aunt and I are delighted to hear that you're settling in alright. As far as the truth about the Sorting, well, it's generally regarded as good form not to let you sprogs know about it ahead of time - hence all the wild stories that older siblings pass on to their younger ones. Think of it as a tradition you now get to participate in when it comes to kids who've yet to go to Hogwarts._

 _Congratulations on getting into the snake pit! I still have no earthly idea as to why you were so eager to go there instead of, say, the badger den, but as long as you're happy I won't fuss. And you of course know your aunt is bursting with pride, even if she's a bit concerned for your well-being._

 _Honestly, though, I know you'll do just fine. Far too much pranking talent in your blood to be brow-beaten by anyone, right?_

 _We're grateful that you're maintaining your old friendships, and hope that you gain many more. Do well, be safe, and we'll see you come winter hols._

 _Love,_

 _Uncle Ted and Aunt Andy_

 _P.S. If you do, by some strange twist of fate, make it onto the Quidditch team, rest assured that we'll grant permission. No sense in keeping someone with your affinity for flying stuck on the ground longer than strictly necessary, after all._

Grinning at the letter Hedwig had brought back from his guardians, Harry handed it over for Draco to read as the boys munched on their second breakfast at Hogwarts. He then picked up his next note, dropped off by an unfamiliar brown owl.

 _Dear Hairball,_

 _Oh, I could've come up with plenty more inventive stories to scare you with, little brother. I know it would have been all too easy to convince you that the Sorting was done based off of how you fought a troll, for example._

 _I'm glad to know you'll be giving as good as you get in that snake pit - and even more delighted to know I left a lasting impression on some of the gits! Now, before you start fussing, I know perfectly well not everyone in Slytherin deserves the reputation that others have gotten for them. But, by the same token, there are plenty others who do indeed live up to the title of sneaky serpents._

 _So, watch out for yourself, alright? At least I know Drakey-boy will side with you, but the others ought to be held at arm's length until you're positive they're trustworthy._

 _And if the Dungeon Bat treats you unfairly, don't be afraid to tell another teacher, preferably with some solid evidence or testimony to back you up (see? Auror training is already sinking in!). They might not be able to do much since you're in another House, but at least it'll show the git you won't take anything lying down._

 _Of course you'll be a shoo-in for the team - you were out-flying ME even after I'd started the lessons at school and you were still on that second-hand training broom from Padfoot. And you're barmy if you think the old dog won't send you a top of the line Nimbus the instant he hears about it, either._

 _Love and luck,_

 _Nymph_

"Looks like my family all seem to think I'd have a shot at taking becoming Seeker." Harry said cheerfully, setting down his sister's letter. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Of course you do, you dolt - I've heard about Higgs' flying skills, with very few compliments towards him. You'll have the spot in no time, and then we'll be the Cup winners for certain!"

"You don't think that's a _little_ far-fetched, do you?"

"Of course not."

Thoughts of Quidditch had to wait until after Potions, though, which the Slytherins had with Gryffindor. Were he slightly more cynical, Harry would have pronounced it to be a war-zone in the making, but instead the boy was just glad to have a couple more friends present. He and Draco claimed a work table beside Ron and Neville, with smiles of varying strengths presented across the aisle. Neither Weasley nor Malfoy seemed all that happy about being civil towards one another, while Neville was attempting to put on a brave face before their terrifying teacher showed up, but Harry was just happy to be in a lesson where he'd not only read ahead but actually had some practical experience. He'd started helping his Aunt Andy in the kitchen at an early age, and her personal Potions lab not long afterward.

Everyone jumped when the door was slammed open by Professor Snape, and he swiftly swept up to the front of the room. There, he fixed the first years with a stern glare, and launched into a speech that sounded both rehearsed yet inspiring. Harry was intrigued and listened closely, but still ended up caught off guard when the professor focused on him alone.

"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

-H&N-

The boys managed to keep straight faces as they walked out of the Potions classroom, but as soon as they were mostly down the hall all four broke out into delighted laughter.

"His- his face!" Ron in particular was nearly falling over from the force of his guffaws. "Merlin, Harry, I thought the greasy git was about to drop from shock! How'd you know the answers to his questions?"

"I was always sneaking off with my sister's textbooks and reading them when I was younger," the dark haired boy explained with a wide grin. "And Aunt Andy taught me a lot of stuff whenever I was helping her brew or prepare ingredients."

"And good thing, too, because _I_ certainly didn't know the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane." Draco grinned.

"I did," Neville remarked, still chuckling. "But definitely not where to find a bezoar."

"Still, though, those are things we aren't supposed to learn for a couple years yet..."

"He probably just wanted to catch you out, then, except that it blew up in his face like an unstable potion!"

That afternoon, Harry and his friends took their homework out into the grounds to enjoy a bit of fresh air and sunshine. Word of the unexpected victory over Professor Snape had spread like wildfire through the school, and while pleased to have finally _done_ something he didn't mind getting recognition for, the stares and whispers were starting to get on Harry's nerves.

"It's going to be like this all seven years, isn't it?" He groaned.

"Maybe you should have asked Aunt Andromeda to send you to Beauxbatons instead."

"Draco! That's a _girl's_ school!"

"Well, you would've fit right in then." Both Gryffindor boys broke out into giggles at the glare Harry was sending his cousin. The Boy-Who-Lived very nearly became the Boy-Who-Attacked-Draco-Bloody-Malfoy, except for the timely arrival of a very large shadow. All four first years looked up to see the same massive man who'd led them from the Hogwarts Express to the boats that carried them across the Black Lake.

"Goodness me, it really is little Harry!" The man beamed at them.

"Um... Yes?"

"Right, sorry, there I go fergettin' my manners 'gain - I'm Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid! Groundskeeper 'ere at Hogwarts." If it was possible, the smile got even bigger, and Harry had a flash of recognition.

"I remember Uncle Ted talking about you!"

"Not s'rprised, good ole Ted was a decent sort. That Nymphadora, too, just like 'im she is."

"I'll tell her you said that."

"Thankee, I'd 'ppreciate that. 'N tell those guardians a' yers they did a fine job a' raisin' ya, even if you did end up in Slytherin of all places."

"Hey." Draco said, sounding a bit put out.

"No offense meant, a' course. Was just a surprise, is all, considerin' how both yer folks were in Gryffindor, and then on account a' how fearless you were as a wee tyke." All four boys perked up a bit at this.

"You knew me when I was a baby?" Harry asked.

"Oh, sure! You 'n James 'n Lily stayed here a couple months 'fore they went 'n hid in Godric's Hollow. Heh, I c'n still remember th' looks on their faces when ya managed t' git yerself all th' way down th' stairs t' th' Great Hall..."

"Hagrid? Would you like to join us for a bit? Share any other embarrassing stories about Harry as a baby?" Ron asked hopefully.

"'Fraid I can't as of right now, got some work t' finish up. But this weekend, mebbe Sunday, how 'bout you lot come stop by my cabin in th' afternoon?"

"Thanks! We'll be there." The first years offered their own goodbyes to Hagrid, and then the groundskeeper was striding off out out of sight.

"Huh." Neville said after a minute. "That was... Huh."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Very eloquent, Longbottom."

"Well how would you describe that little scene, then?"

And for once, the Malfoy heir was at a loss for words.

The rest of the day went smoothly, despite the continuous scrutiny that Harry was under. That evening, however, when Harry and Draco returned to the Slytherin common room after dinner, there was an unexpected surprise waiting.

"Headmaster Dumbledore has requested your presence in his office, Mister Potter." Professor Snape told them, sweeping past the startled boys back to the entrance. "Come."

"Er, guess we'll work on our homework later then, Draco." The cousins gave each other worried looks, before Harry hurried off after the Potions Master. He knew better than to ask any questions about the Headmaster as they traversed the halls, instead remaining quiet along the journey. Eventually, though, a query of a different nature bubbled up in Harry's mind, and he couldn't help but ask it when they were alone in an empty corridor.

"Sir?"

"What, Potter?"

"Why did you tell me this morning you regret my mother's death?" The grown man nearly tripped over his own feet, turning with a startled expression. "I mean, I thought that's what you were saying, with the question about asphodel and wormwood, but if I'm wrong I apologize-"

"No, Mister Potter," a quiet mutter interrupted him. "That is... The sentiment I was conveying." Professor Snape resumed his fast pace then, and Harry didn't think he'd get any more from the Potions Master.

Then they rounded another corner, and the man spoke again. "Lily Evans was my dearest friend, as a child. And despite the falling out we had during our school years, I have always deeply regretted her loss."

"Oh." At first, Harry wasn't quite sure what to say. "Thank you for saying so, sir. Even if you had a strange way of going about it in class."

The professor snorted, but didn't say anything more on the matter as they'd arrived at a gargoyle statue. "Sugar Quills." Harry's eyebrows rose as the statue stepped aside, revealing a spiral staircase. He and Professor Snape ascended it, coming to a thick wooden door which the man reached to open.

"Come in, Severus!" The headmaster's voice rang out before Professor Snape even had a chance to grab the doorknob. He rolled his eyes, causing Harry to snicker slightly, but went inside regardless.

"I've brought Potter, as requested." The Potions Master said dryly, ushering the boy forward. Headmaster Dumbledore rose from behind his desk, beaming at the both of them.

"Ah, yes, thank you Severus. Good evening, young Harry."

"And to you as well, Headmaster."

"Please, have a seat, my boy. Severus, thank you for your time, I'm aware that you're eager to get back to your quarters-"

"Which can wait until after I've escorted Mister Potter back to the common room again, Headmaster." Professor Snape folded his arms and settled into a firm stance, staring the older wizard down.

"Ah. I see. Well, Harry, are you certain you'd appreciate Professor Snape being present during our chat?"

"Of course, sir." The eleven year old went ahead and sent a small smile at his Head of House, who gave him a short nod in return. Headmaster Dumbledore seemed to deflate for a moment, but swiftly returned to normal.

"Well then, I suppose I should explain why I asked for you, my boy. You see, it is not common knowledge, but you in fact have much closer relatives than the Tonks family, to whom custody of yourself should have been given after your parents' unfortunate deaths."

Both Harry and Professor Snape blinked at him.

"I know, this comes as a large surprise, but I would have brought this to you much sooner had I been aware of exactly where you were living these ten years. In fact, I highly suspect that you were placed with Andromeda and Ted Tonks illegally-"

"Nothing illegal about it," Harry jumped in. "They were given complete custody by the person who became my legal guardian after my mother and father were killed."

This time it was Dumbledore's turn to blink. "I'm afraid I don't follow, my boy. Are you trying to tell me that- that _Sirius Black_ was the one to transport you from Godric's Hollow to the Tonks household?"

"That's right."

" _WHAT."_ Harry cast a glance over his shoulder, and shrank down a bit upon realizing that the Potions Master was quivering with fury. " _Why_ would _Black_ of all people do such a thing?"

"I wonder the same thing, Severus. We will need to change custody immediately-"

"No you don't!" Harry jumped to his feet. "I'm perfectly safe with my family, and Sirius isn't who you need to worry about anyway - _Pettigrew_ was the one to betray my parents to the Dark Lord."

Both men stared at him in shock. "Harry," the headmaster said gently. "I'm not sure where you received this misinformation from, but-"

"But nothing! They switched Secret Keepers without telling anyone! Pettigrew blew up that ferry in the Channel, too, in order to escape from Sirius. And with everyone _assuming_ my godfather was the true traitor, he's had to keep on the run to avoid being killed while still hunting for the rat."

He looked up when a strong hand grasped his shoulder. "Potter," Professor Snape growled. "How do you know all this? Has Black been in contact with you?"

Harry clenched his jaw and said nothing. He also avoided looking either man in the eye, knowing full well that they were accomplished Legilimens who'd probably get by his still-forming mental shields without too much trouble.

"Under these circumstances, my boy, I think it would be best to award custody of you to your mother's sister and her family." At that, Professor's Snape's intense gaze snapped from Harry to the headmaster.

"Petunia?" He asked incredulously. "You want to give him to _Petunia?_ That woman can't abide anything magical! She and Lily got along worse than Black and myself!"

"Severus..."

"You can't do it." Harry stubbornly cross his arms. "There's a contract written up and everything - I'm to live with and be cared for by the Tonks family until I turn seventeen, or in the case of their demises, with one Remus Lupin."

"I knew it! I knew the wolf had to be involved-"

"For all intents and purposes, Headmaster," the boy plowed on through his professor's outburst. "I'm a ward of the House of Black, and as such am being cared for by a branch of said family. This was all legalized before Sirius became a fugitive for, I ought to point out, crimes he didn't commit and _has not been proven guilty for."_

"If that's the case, why doesn't he turn himself in?" Professor Snape asked snidely.

"I don't know, maybe because of the 'kill on sight' order that's been out for him these past ten years!" Harry shouted in frustration. "My point is, you can't do anything to move me! You wouldn't even have the right if I actually _was_ in danger!"

"Mister Potter, sit _down_." Dumbledore ordered. Harry did so with a thump, belatedly realizing he'd just yelled at one of the most powerful men in the Wizarding World. "Now. Once you've had a chance to calm down, I hope that you will realize I am simply acting in your best interests, my boy. Living with Petunia Evans will activate a powerful protective charm placed upon you, ensuring your continued safety in the coming years. Secrecy has, I will admit, done a fine job of keeping you out of harm's way until now, but with the knowledge becoming widespread of just whom you've been in the care of, I think it best you be moved to a new location."

"I don't." The boy said flatly. "And neither would my family. Besides, Aunt Andy has plenty of surprise defenses in store for anyone stupid enough to attack our home."

"Harry-"

"If this was all you wanted to speak to me about, Headmaster, then I have to ask that the rest of your argument wait until such a time as one of my legal guardians is present as well." Dumbledore sighed, but nodded his agreement. Harry promptly got back to his feet and headed for the door, Professor Snape following after a moment.

Neither of the Slytherins spoke until they were well away from the headmaster's office, descending towards the dungeons.

"Potter... Has Black actually contacted you at any point in the last decade?"

Harry hesitated, but did decide to answer his Head of House, albeit with only a partial truth. "He sends really nice presents, at Christmas and on mine and Nymph's birthdays."

Professor Snape eyed him silently for several moments. "Than shall I also assume that he has included notes or letters that told stories of pranks and similar shameful exploits?"

"How do you think I knew to apologize to you on behalf of my father and his friends yesterday morning?" The boy replied. "...And I really did mean it, by the way. Some of the stuff Sirius told me about made me think the Marauders were nothing more than bullying toerags."

A small smirk flickered across the Potion Master's face. "I believe that is what your mother often referred to them as, in our younger years." Harry looked at him in surprise, then smiled.

"I've always wanted to know more stories about her. Professor, do, do you think-?"

"Perhaps, Potter. My office hours are posted in the common room should any student ever need to speak to me."

"Thank you, sir." The rest of their walk afterward was in silence, but not an awkward one.

 _A/N: Gonna be six updates today, seven if I can whip out a new Wild chapter by tonight. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!_


	5. Chapter 4

_A/N: I just want to start by saying this is my all-time favorite chapter to have written for any of my HP stories. 'Why is that,' you ask? Well, read on to find out, and enjoy the maniacal cackling I'm sure you'll get from the experience..._

Chapter 4

"Well? What happened?" Draco demanded the instant Harry returned to their dormitory. The other boy ignored him in favor of going over to his bed, flopping face down onto it, and groaning dramatically into his pillow.

"That well, eh?" Blaise snickered from across the room.

"What gives him the right?" Harry complained, picking his head back up. "What makes Dumbledore think he's entitled to meddle with my life and living arrangements?"

"Besides the fact he's the head of the Light faction and you're the boy who defeated the Dark Lord?" Both Harry and Draco turned to shoot glares at Theo, who ignored them and continued reading his Transfiguration textbook.

"Yes. Besides that."

"Well, let's see - Headmaster of Hogwarts, also Head Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Conference of Wizards, do I need to go on?" Theo raised his head in order to arch an eyebrow at the rest of them, only to be forced to duck a pillow chucked at him a moment later.

" _None_ of which give him legal rights to meddle in his students home lives," Harry grumbled, jumping up to retrieve his pillow. Vince got there first and tossed it over to him.

"What did the Headmaster even try to do, Harry?" The larger boy asked as he returned to his own bed.

"Switch custody of me from Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted over to some relatives on my mum's side-"

"Muggles?" Draco blurted. "He was going to give you to _muggles?"_

"Apparently. He seemed to think some sort of blood protection would be activated if I lived with them."

"Do you need to be protected?" Greg spoke up. "I mean, most folks who'd wanna were in Slytherin, but now you are too..."

Harry blinked at him. "Are you trying to ask whether or not I'm going to be the next big Dark Wizard or something?"

The room's sudden silence was telling.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, like I'd want to follow in the footsteps of the nutter who killed my parents."

"Does that mean you'll be a member of the Light, then? Because in that case you'd be better off following Dumbledore rather than antagonizing him."

"What is it with this division between Light and Dark anyway?" Harry griped, shooting another glare over at Theo. "Why can't somebody decide to be a Grey Wizard, like Gandalf?"

"Who?" Several voices rang out with the same question, causing the Boy-Who-Lived to groan and flop back onto his bed.

Draco snickered, and jumped in to speak for his cousin. "He's making a muggle literature reference. Gandalf the Grey was a wizard in the world of Middle Earth who meddled with other people's affairs, started and ended wars, was generally irritating but still got hailed as a great being because he helped bring about significant changes for the denizens of the assorted kingdoms."

"Sounds like Dumbledore to me," Blaise snickered, before shooting a sly look at the blonde boy. "Have you actually read this piece of _muggle_ literature, Draco?"

As his cousin reddened and remained silent, Harry chuckled. "Only because I made him a deal - he read 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings', and I taught his house elf how to prepare a bunch of the muggle foods I've gotten him hooked on over the years."

"Ah, of course." As the other lads laughed, Draco shot Harry a dire look that promised retribution. The dark haired boy responded by poking his tongue out and blowing a raspberry.

-H&N-

The rest of the school week passed without too much of note, filled mostly with the usual matters that came of a few hundred students all settling into new routines. On the weekend, however, were three separate events that would later prove to be highly influential to the future of the Boy-Who-Lived.

First, early on Saturday morning, came Harry's private tryout with the Slytherin Quidditch team captain, Markus Flint. The teen gaped when Harry rocketed off the ground, running through a standard series of professional tricks and movements much faster than any eleven year old had a right to. Several paces behind him, Draco was smirking in triumph, while Professor Snape watched with a single eyebrow raised.

When the boy finally landed, he sent a cautious glance at the captain.

"Potter," Markus finally managed to say. "You're gonna be our new Seeker."

"Are you sure? You don't want me and Higgs to compete or-"

"Merlin's beard, Potter, you'd outfly Higgs in a heartbeat. Nah, get your permission slip signed, a decent broom, and be ready for practice next week. I'll let Higgs know he's out the job today."

Harry wrinkled up his nose. "That seems a bit harsh. Wouldn't it go over better to move him to the reserve team?"

"Reserve? We don't have a-" Markus paused. "Y'know what, kid, that's not a bad idea. Professor Snape, can we get a reserve team set up?"

"I leave it in your hands, Mister Flint."

"Brilliant."

Heading back to the castle, Harry and Draco exchanged beaming grins.

Later that day, though, in order to get away from the excited whispers about him, the new Seeker headed off to the library for a bit of privacy. With his homework tucked under one arm, the boy was heading for the most secluded corner he could find when a wall of book stacks caught his eye. Wandering a bit closer, Harry peered around the side of it and found the same bushy-haired Gryffindor girl he'd first noticed at breakfast on Wednesday.

"Erm, excuse me?" The girl glanced up at him in surprise. "Granger, isn't it?"

"Hermione Granger, yes," she replied, studying him. "And you're Harry Potter."

"Yeah. Look, I'm not trying to intrude, but are you actually planning to read all these this afternoon? Or did you just make the barricade to hide yourself?"

"Oh, no, I've already read all these." Hermione waved a hand at the books.

"Hn. Fast reader." Harry gave her an impressed look. "Don't suppose you'd mind my joining you back here? I could use a good barricade myself." She seemed startled at his query, but scooted further down the table to make room for him to pull over another chair. "Thanks."

The two of them remained there for sometime, working on their own assignments in silence. Harry noted the occasional confused looks Hermione would send at him, correctly interpreting them as bewilderment over why anyone, let alone such a famous individual in the Wizarding World, would ask to share a space with her for such a long period.

As far as Harry was concerned, he was doing a lonely girl a good turn, and would hopefully be viewed a bit more normally in return.

When they left the library together to head to dinner, he asked if she'd like to meet up in the same manner again. Surprised once more, Hermione gave him a nod, agreeing to be in the same spot the next Saturday. Noting that the girl then went to sit by herself at the Gryffindor table, Harry decided to talk to Neville and Ron about including the witch in their future get-togethers.

He brought it up the very next day, as the four boys headed for Hagrid's hut at the edge of the school grounds.

"Not that bloody know-it-all," Ron groaned as soon as Hermione's name was mentioned. "She's such a pain! Always volunteering answers, acting like she's so much smarter than the rest of us-"

"Well, considering how much she reads..."

"Not helping, Neville."

Harry huffed a sigh, then noted the look on his cousin's face as the blonde began to speak. "Draco, if you're about to tell me not to waste my time trying to help a muggleborn, I swear I'll turn all your uniforms' sigils from Slytherin to Gryffindor." The other boy promptly shut his mouth with an expression of abject horror, which of course set Ron and Neville off cackling.

Hagrid happily welcomed them all in, offering tea from a massive pot, and cakes that upon inspection proved harder than granite. The conversation started off with how well the boys were all settling into their new routines, then switched to Harry's new Quidditch position, which of course set off an argument over the professional teams. This last was mostly held between Ron and Draco, and only ended when Neville spoke up to ask how Nymph was doing in the Aurors.

"She's good," Harry replied, grateful for the change in topic. "A bit stumped by her new case, trying to help Gringotts solve the mystery of that robbery earlier this week."

All four of the boys jumped when Hagrid set down the re-filled teapot a bit more forcefully than needed.

"...In point of fact, her last letter was mostly ranting about how close-lipped the goblins are being about the whole-thing, and the difficulties that she's having when she doesn't even know _what_ the object was or who took it out earlier that day." As he spoke, Harry watched Hagrid out the corner of his eye, noting how stiff the large man was becoming. "Don't suppose you've heard anything along those lines, Hagrid?"

"Hm? Oh, no, can't say I have."

"It was withdrawn the _same day_ as the robbery?" Draco asked in surprise. "Well, that's suspicious right there."

"It is?"

"Of course, Weasley. Anyone sophisticated enough to get past goblin security wouldn't have been tripped up by something as trivial as mistiming their theft - the owner of the item must have known they were about to be stolen from, and decided to move their property without any advance warning."

Hagrid coughed.

This time, all the first years watched him, until the man became so discomfited that he spoke. "As a matter o' fact, lads, I took that parcel out fer the Headmaster. An' I'd be obliged if'n ye didn't go mentionin' it t' anyone, understand?"

"Don't worry, Hagrid, we won't tell a soul."

And for the time being, the matter was dropped.

-H&N-

After Halloween night, and the troll incident, the matter came back up.

Harry, as a matter of principle in order to honor his parents' sacrifice, had decided to remain in the Slytherin common room rather than go to the feast. His dorm mates each offered to stay with him in their own ways, but he sent the lot on to enjoy themselves, even Draco. Professor Snape had also checked in on him just before the meal started, but left with the assurance that Harry was going to read ahead in some of the Potions texts for later years. Surprisingly, after clearing the air about the Marauders, the two had begun developing something of a mentorship (it helped that Harry was genuinely interested in his professor's subject, and already wielded more skill than was typical for his yearmates). This meant that Snape was willing to trust that he wasn't remaining behind in order to lay the pieces for a prank upon the rest of the Slytherins.

Not half an hour after the feast officially began, however, a doe patronus manifested in front of the sofa where Harry was reading. Sufficiently surprised, it took him a moment to realize the thing was delivering a message.

"Mister Potter," Professor Snape's voice snapped out authoritatively. "You will remain put where you are, and do not move under any circumstances. There is a troll loose in the dungeons, but it should not be able to enter our common room. The rest of the student body has been ordered to remain in the Great Hall while I and the other professors deal with the troll."

With that, the patronus faded.

Blinking, Harry's gaze flicked over to the main door, to his book, and back to the door. The sudden urge to go poke his head out into the hall, just to check, was extremely difficult to ignore. It took all of the boy's willpower to turn his head entire head back down in order to focus on the text.

Then there came a massive _whump_ at the door.

Jerking his head back up, Harry watched with wide eyes as the thick stone was bowed inward by a second _whump._ With the third, a crack appeared in the door, green and silver sparks spitting madly from it.

Harry jumped to his feet, Potions book falling to the floor, and began to back away as the door and its protective enchantments started to fail. When the massive club became visible, he pulled out his wand. And just as a huge, grimy hand showed up, pushing at the hole in the wall, Harry shot off the most powerful stinging hex he could.

There was an irritated grunt from the other side, and then the club started to smash about with greater ferocity. Gulping, Harry moved as far back as he could, only coming to a stop when his shoulders hit the opposite stone wall. He tried the Bombarda spell he'd read about in Nymph's textbooks, but only managed to knock some more dust from the rubble. A cutting curse didn't have much effect either, and Harry was starting to get desperate when several distant voices shouted at once. The troll paused in its efforts to enter the Slytherin doorway, before slowly tipping over. It landed with a jarring crash that shook the ground beneath Harry's feet.

He didn't notice the white-knuckled grip he had on his wand, still pointed at the doorway, and jumped when Professor Snape suddenly placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, Potter?"

"Um," he stared at where the rest of the teaching staff were milling about the troll's body, several of them casting plain looks of concern at where he stood. "Yeah, I'm fine. That- that certainly wasn't how I expected my evening to go."

"I'd imagine not," Professor Snape said dryly, carefully tapping on Harry's wand hand. The boy released his tight grip, unleashing a huff of air as he did so.

Dumbledore entered the room then, glancing about before making a beeline towards the two Slytherins. "Harry, my boy, are you well?"

"I've been better, Headmaster." Harry replied, unconsciously mimicking his Head of House's tone. "But I'm not hurt, at least."

The old wizard let out a sigh of relief. "Very good, dear boy. Severus, I think it is safe to say the Slytherin students should sleep in the Great Hall tonight, so that we may repair the entrance."

"Agreed, Headmaster. In the meantime, perhaps you should consider sending someone to check on the safeguards-?"

"I had Pomona and Silvanus go there straight away, Severus. They'll ensure that the package is not disturbed." At the word 'package', Harry's ears suddenly picked up, and his thoughts immediately sped back to Hagrid's admittance of picking up a parcel from Gringotts for Dumbledore, just before it could be stolen by someone ingenious enough to get past the goblins.

"Good. In that case, I'll take Mister Potter to the Hall now." At his Head's nudge, Harry snapped back to the present, and carefully started off to the wrecked doorway. Slipping out into the hall without tripping on the rubble took some doing, but he managed, followed close behind by Professor Snape. They were a few corridors away and almost to the staircases before Harry spoke up.

"Sir? What's the Headmaster hiding in the third floor corridor that someone wants to steal so badly they'd set a troll loose as a distraction?"

The Potions Master froze, staring at Harry with a mix of incredulity and utter disbelief.

"...I'm going to pretend you didn't ask me that, Mister Potter."

"But-"

"Drop it, Potter. If this were a matter to be known by the students, then the Headmaster would have said so at the beginning of the year."

Harry sighed. "Yes, sir."

The rest of their trip was made in silence. As the two approached the Great Hall, Harry could pick up on the dull roar of hundreds of voices murmuring amongst themselves. Then they arrived at the doors, which Professor Snape pushed open with a wave of his wand.

Every student within the Hall went silent at their appearance, and then quite a few Slytherins surged up from their seats out of concern for the overly pale Boy Who Lived.

"Sir?" Markus Flint was the first to ask. "What happened?"

"The troll attempted to enter our dormitory. Fortunately, it was delayed by Mister Potter, and then stopped by myself and the rest of the staff. Tonight, as the entrance to the Slytherin dormitories has been badly damaged, my house will be sleeping here. The rest of you will return to your houses only when your Heads arrive to escort you." With that, Professor Snape gave Harry a nudge towards the Slytherin table, before turning on his heel and departing again.

The boy only made it a few steps before his yearmates gathered around him, and then the lot were absorbed by the ranks of older Slytherins. Other students across the Hall craned in their seats in order to catch a bit of the forthcoming explanation, made easier when one of the seventh year prefects cast an amplification charm for Harry to speak into.

"-was just reading," he said, his words caught and sent throughout the room. "When the Professor's patronus appeared, ordering me to stay put. I was still wondering whether or not I should check outside the door when something big hit it - and I mean _really_ hit it, enough to bend the stonework."

"Bloody hell," everyone heard Draco mutter as well.

"It only took a few swings of that club for the troll to make an opening, and that was when I tried firing some spells at it - not that they did any good, sadly. I'd backed up to the far wall and was trying to figure out my next move when the professors all got there, and they took it down with an onslaught of spells. Whole thing was over in just a few minutes."

"Weren't you scared?" Pansy asked, eyes wide.

Harry snorted. "I think a bloke would have to be barking mad not to be scared in a situation like that, even a Gryff." Several boos were directed at him from the table of the lions. "Oh, pipe down, you lot. You can prove me wrong when you all get to stand alone in a room with an angry troll breaking down the door in order to come squash you underfoot."

Quite a few of those same Gryffindors who'd jeered the boy suddenly found themselves being slapped into submission by their other housemates.

"What really gets me, though, is that someone did this deliberately." Silence reigned in the Hall again.

"...What do you mean, deliberately?" Theo asked.

"Oh come on, there's no way that troll got past Hogwarts' defenses and walls by itself. Not to mention whatever that parcel is that the Headmaster's hiding in the third floor corridor, the one that someone tried to steal from Gringotts just hours after it was withdrawn. I think the troll was just a distraction so that the thief could make a grab for his target - I heard Dumbledore say he'd sent Professors Sprout and Kettleburn to check on it, that means he knows why the troll was really here too."

When it was apparent that the boy had finished, hushed conversations broke out at all tables, as students discussed this interesting turn of events. The amplification charm was removed, and then Blaise turned a shrewd eye onto his dormmate.

"You do realize, every student is now going to write home about this, and their parents are going to flood the Headmaster with complaints about the situation."

Harry grinned.

"Which, you evidently knew in advance." Daphne surmised.

"But of course. This is my revenge for him trying to meddle with my custody arrangements."

Draco slowly shook his head in awe. "I don't know what Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted were worried about - you're the classic example of a Slytherin."

"Thanks, cousin. Now, is there any treacle tart left?"


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, when the Slytherin students were allowed to return to their house's dormitory, they all got to see what was left of the troll's attempt at entry. Though the majority of the rubble had been cleared away, along with the body, the damage to the doorway itself was still clearly evident. More than one student sent an awed look in Harry's direction, which he tried to ignore in favor of going to pick up his Potions book from the night before. Then, he joined his friends in their dorm, and got ready for the day.

Unfortunately, most of the school's population seemed intent on watching the Boy-Who-Lived throughout his classes and the halls, hence why Harry went and hid in the library as soon as he could. While perfectly willing to stand up to the scrutiny when he had to, the first year also just wanted some bloody privacy to recuperate in.

That was where Hermione cornered him, eager to ply him with questions about all the details about what was going on with the Headmaster and the third floor corridor.

"What I said last night is pretty much all I know, honestly," Harry eventually sighed, sinking further down in his chair. "Now, I mean no offense, but please stop asking me about it."

The Gryffindor immediately looked crestfallen, and started to get up from her chair. "Right, then, I'll just leave you alone..."

"I didn't say you had to _go,_ Hermione, it was just a request for a change in subject."

Cheered, she settled back down, pulling out a Defense Against the Dark Arts book to read. Harry got to enjoy blessed silence for a while, hidden in a corner behind both his acquaintance and a wall of textbooks. Whenever someone's footsteps approached, the boy shrank down to avoid being spotted, staying put until whoever it was had moved on.

Inevitably, however, a very persistent person managed to track him down.

"So this is where you've been hiding," Draco snorted, leaning over the makeshift barricade to peer at his slouching cousin. "You know that's dreadful posture to be in."

"Oh, shut up and get back here before someone spots you." As Harry was up against the wall, Draco was forced to pull up a chair on the other side of Hermione, who immediately introduced herself to the blonde. He shook her hand with minimal reluctance, then got distracted by the girl's choice of reading material.

"Isn't that Defense material for third years and up?"

"Mm-hm. I wanted to start reading ahead, especially since a troll got in last night. Has Harry told you about his theories on who was behind it?"

"No?"

"Well, really, I shouldn't be surprised, he only came up with them when we were discussing it earlier - look, this is the list I've started based off what he said." Startled, because he hadn't realized she'd written down his spoken thoughts, Harry glanced over to see what Hermione was showing his cousin.

It was indeed a list of the teachers he'd mentioned, with added notes on who had what suspicions laid against them based off of their subjects and personal details. Draco's eyebrows went up as he studied it. "Is it just me, or are you two intent upon solving this mystery, despite it being an adult matter?"

"Well, you know adults, Drakey. They discount what we 'young and uncouth punks' notice in favor of their own theories." Harry rolled his eyes. "Besides, I tried to ask Professor Snape about what was going on, and I _know_ it's something serious by the way he told me to keep out of it."

Hermione frowned. "He might just be trying to keep you from getting into more danger, then. I mean, it can't be a coincidence that the troll managed to seek out the one student who was alone in the whole school, and then fight its way past a warded door in order to get at you."

Both the boys grimaced. "That's a thought. Although, honestly, I can't help but think it was just my best-double-yule luck acting up again." At the utterly baffled look sent his way, Harry elaborated. "That's what we use to refer to my 'Boy-Who-Lived' status - bee double-you el, see? It all boils down to the fact that I've got the _bad_ luck to wind up in deadly situations, but the _good_ luck to survive them."

"Situations, plural? Besides the night with You-Know-Who?"

Draco let out an unexpected cackle. "Two others. One from before we met, which Nymph loves to refer to as the 'Harry Apparated Onto The Roof and Won't Come Down Again' misadventure. The other's from a couple years ago, involving a prank which went wrong, followed by my cousin here and Ronald Weasley avoiding my aunt's wrath by hiding in a sewer for two hours, only to nearly get washed away when an unexpected thunderstorm opened up. They both had to stay in bed with colds for a straight week."

Hermione turned wide eyes towards Harry, who could only scowl and shrug. "Like I said. The best-double-yule luck."

The three of them continued to talk for a while, Neville and Ron eventually finding their hiding place as well. Harry was delighted when Hermione invited them into the discussion, even if it took his redheaded friend a bit longer than the others to relax with her present.

Unfortunately, the downside of their group fully assembling was that more people noticed and drifted past in order to get a glimpse of Harry, something the boy didn't take well in the slightest. They decided to pack up and find somewhere else to hang out, Hermione swept up and along with the boys before she quite knew it was happening.

Knowing full well the more populated areas of the castle would be useless as far as privacy went, the group of five searched some of the empty classrooms near the library. The best of the lot was a large, open room found by Neville, with a bunch of musty old pillows stacked against the far wall. The lot was arranged into a sloppy circle, Hermione smartened them up with a quick cleaning spell, and then the children settled down to continue their conversation.

"So, you're _absolutely certain_ Snape couldn't be the one-?" Ron didn't even get a chance to finish his question before both Harry and Draco were sending threatening glares his way.

" _Yes,_ Weasley, because if you paid attention, you would know Professor Snape had been with the group that took down the troll. There's no way he could've been with them _and_ headed off to the third floor corridor at the same time."

"Alright, alright, don't get your knickers in a twist, Malfoy." The redhead folded his arms and scowled. "But you know as well as I do he's a-"

"Ron." Harry interrupted. "He was my mum's best friend before and during school. If nothing else, I _know_ he didn't let the troll in when I was the only student still in the dungeons."

"...Fine. I'll leave off." The other boy finally subsided.

"So," Neville piped up a moment later. "Do we even know what the secret package is and why someone would want it?"

That set off a round of theory-making that got progressively more wild, with Ron and Draco proposing the more ridiculous of the suggestions. By the time they had to leave for dinner, the more sane members of the group were quite certain it wasn't a monster or high-priced jewels, but were considering the possibilities of some sort of powerful artifact.

With the children gone, an old wizard who'd been inspecting the room under a disillusionment charm before they came in finally revealed himself, smiling as his eyes twinkled.

"Well," Dumbledore murmured, still staring at the door. "Isn't this a remarkable turn of events."

-H&N-

Harry should've known there'd be a response to the joke he made at Gryffindor's expense while explaining about the troll incident. After dinner that evening, as he was on his way back from taking a couple letters up to Hedwig in the Owlery, the eleven year old got cornered by a trio of fourth years wearing red and gold ties.

"Oy, Potter!" Their leader stepped in close, forcing Harry to back up against the hallway wall. "We don't appreciate you being so disparaging about our House, Potter. And I think, Boy Who Lived or not, you need a lesson in being more courteous towards Houses better than your own."

"Funny," Harry said, eyes darting around as he debated possible escape routes. "Here I thought all the Hogwarts Houses were supposed to be equal."

"Yes, well, you thought wrong." The taller boy threw a quick punch, only for Harry to duck it and dart out under the bully's arm. He tried to race away, only for one of the others to catch the back of his robe.

"Let me GO!" Harry yelled, kicking backward and connecting with the boy's knee. Spinning in place, he managed to pull himself free, but then the third of the Gryffindors caught him in a bear hug from behind.

"You sure we can't use spells on the little blighter?" The bully who'd been kicked growled, rubbing at his knee. His leader shook his head.

"They'd be able to prove we did it by checking our wands, then. But like this? It'll be the Snake's word against ours, and everyone knows Slytherins are slimy liars." With that, he drove his fist into Harry's gut, causing the smaller boy to double over with a slight wheeze.

"HEY!" All of them looked to see Percy Weasley bearing down on the group, expression thunderous. "What in Merlin's name _do you think you're bloody DOING?!"_

"Um..."

"Oh come on, Weasley!" The leader of the trio spoke up, trying to sound reasonable. "You heard that crack he made about us last night. We're just making sure he doesn't do it again-"

"Thirty points from Gryffindor," Percy cut him off with a hiss. " _Each._ Now, get back to the dorm, where I expect Professor McGonagall had _better_ be able to find you later. GO!" He barked when none of them moved. The three fourth years took off, scrambling to flee before they annoyed the prefect any more. From where he stood hunched over with his arms wrapped around his midsection, Harry scowled at their retreating form.

"Bloody tossers," he grumbled. A hand on his shoulder caused the boy to look up.

"In light of what just happened, I won't take points off for language," the fifth year remarked. "But don't tell anyone. Are you alright, Harry?"

"No, but I will be. It was only the one hit - I've had worse in a couple scuffles back at primary school."

"Even so, I think I'd better escort you to Professor Snape's office."

"Thanks, Percy."

They had to move slowly at first, but as the pain dulled Harry was able to straighten up and walk quicker. Soon enough, they reached the right dungeon door, and Percy quickly knocked.

"Enter!" It took a moment after they entered for the Potions professor to look up from some paperwork, and then he was promptly up and moving towards them. "Mister Weasley, Mister Potter, what is this?"

"I'm ashamed to say some members of my House thought they could get away with attacking Harry, Professor," Percy explained. "I arrived just in time to see one of them delivering a blow to his torso."

Snape growled even as he whipped out his wand to run a diagnostic spell on the first year. "Which students?"

"Helliwell, Bucket, and Hawksworth. They've been deducted thirty points each and sent back to Gryffindor Tower to await Professor McGonagall."

"Use my floo to call your Head of House, Mister Weasley." As soon as the prefect was occupied, Snape bent down a bit to better look Harry in the eyes. "Mister Potter. Have these dunderheads attempted to bully you before?"

"No, sir. This is the first time." He gave his professor a wary look. "You aren't going to chop them up for potions ingredients, are you?"

"Much as I would dearly enjoy doing so, I think the Headmaster would take it the wrong way. He always coddles the Gryffindors," Snape added under his breath. A moment later he straightened up, as the fireplace flared and Professor McGonagall stepped out.

"What is this about an attack on Mister Potter?" The witch demanded, striding over to them with Percy right on her heels.

Both professors listened intently as Harry described the incident, along with Percy's view of events after his arrival. McGonagall was incensed that three of her Lions thought it was acceptable to physically hurt a first year due to a single offhand comment, while Snape was simply flat out furious. He was all for deducting further points, but Harry spoke up and dissuaded him, pointing out that Percy deserved to gain points for stepping in when he could have just looked the other way.

"I don't see why he should be given House points for accomplishing one of his assigned duties, Mister Potter." Nonetheless, Snape let the matter drop. He did insist, however, on being the teacher that the bullies reported to for their detention, something that McGonagall didn't even try to fight him on. In fact, Harry rather suspected she was quite pleased about the Potions professor's commitment to overseeing their punishments.

-H&N-

"Where in Merlin's name have you been?" Draco demanded as soon as Harry got back to the dormitory. He and the rest of the first year boys were preparing to head to bed for the night. "Do you realize how far past curfew it is? Professor Snape's going to have your head!"

"Professor Snape's the one who escorted me back from Madam Pomfrey's," Harry deadpanned. His cousin's eyes widened, and suddenly he had the attention of everyone in the room.

"...What happened?" Blaise was the first to ask.

Shrugging, Harry moved to change out of his uniform into some pajamas. "I got ambushed on the way back from the Owlery. Some Idiot Gryffindors thought to teach me a lesson for apparently 'insulting' their House last night."

"Are you alright?!" Draco asked, alarmed.

"Yeah, they only got one hit in before Percy Weasley showed up and ordered the lot of them off. Then he helped me down to Professor Snape's office, we told both him and Professor McGonagall the whole story, and while the three idiots have been given detention with our beloved Head of House, it's entirely possible they won't survive the tongue lashing their own Head's going to give them." Harry snickered, still picturing the look on McGonagall's face as she left through the Floo. "Anyway, Professor Snape wanted to make absolutely certain I was fine, so he escorted me to the Infirmary for a look-over before coming back here."

Slowly, his cousin shook his head, looking torn between continued concern and exasperation. "It's physically impossible for you to keep out of trouble, isn't it?"

"Seems so! Oh, and Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted are going to be coming up this weekend - after Professor Snape Floo-called them while Madam Pomfrey was running her scans, they've decided that Dumbledore needs a talking-to."

The other boys weren't quite sure why Harry appeared so smug with that statement, but Draco had gained his own evil grin as well. "Oh, _please_ tell me I can watch. Or at least listen in!"

"I don't know about that, but I do promise, first time we have access to a pensieve, I'll show you the memory of it."

"Well, I suppose that's good enough."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The morning of November 2nd saw quite a few people staring at Harry through the course of breakfast, something he was slowly becoming accustomed to. Even so, he didn't hesitate to slouch between Draco and Theo, and across from Greg and Vincent, hoping to block as many lines of sight as possible.

Then the Hall's doors were slammed open, and the boy shot straight up.

Andromeda Tonks nee Black stormed down the central aisle of the room, her furious gaze locked onto the Headmaster. Curious whispers quieted as the knowledge of the woman's identity got passed around, every student interested if not outright eager to hear what she was planning on saying.

"Dumbledore," Andy growled when she reached the head table. "My husband and I had planned on making an appointment to see you this Saturday, regarding a matter neither of us wished to see progress out of hand or be swept under the rug. But that was before I received a letter this morning, informing me of the _mountain troll_ that got into the dungeons night before last and attempted to make a meal of my nephew. Would you care to tell me why, exactly, Harry had to tell me about this event himself, rather than a school missive which could have been sent at any point yesterday?"

One could've heard a feather drop in the dead silence of the Great Hall after that.

"Ah," the Headmaster said weakly. "Well, you see Mrs. Tonks, I was rather busy with various matters yesterday-"

"You couldn't have taken ten minutes for a Floo call?" She leaned back slightly and arched an eyebrow.

"...Apparently it slipped my mind."

"I see. In that case, perhaps you and Professors Snape and McGonagall would care to come discuss both these matters with me in your office? Now."

"Of course, my dear. Severus, Minerva, if you'd be so kind..." As the three professors rose from the Head Table, Andy also turned to scan the Slytherin table, her gaze soon landing on the boy who'd been in her care for exactly ten years and a day.

"You too, Harry." He gladly hopped up from his seat and hurried to her side. On the way out of the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall also called Percy Weasley and the three fourth year boys who'd been involved with the previous evening's incident. Everyone trooped out and up to the Headmaster's office in silence, avoided by anybody who crossed paths with them in the hallways. Andy kept a hand resting on Harry's shoulder the whole way, and by faint trembles it occasionally had, he clued in to just how upset she was.

Dumbledore led the way past his gargoyle guard and up the spiral staircase to his office; once inside, he took a seat behind his desk, with Snape to one side and McGonagall on the other. Andy sat in one of the offered armchairs, Harry standing beside her, while the three Gryffindor bullies lined up on the opposite side of the room with Percy standing intimidatingly behind them.

"Now," Andy began before the Headmaster could speak. "I would like to hear from my nephew, start to finish, the events of both the last two evenings, as I doubt his letter covered everything. Then I'd like to hear from Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and Prefect Weasley their points of view. After that, I want to know whatever dunderheaded excuses _you_ three have since come up with," Andy punctuated this statement with a dark glare at the fourth years, who all found themselves instinctively leaning backwards, "Followed by the actions you have since taken, Albus, concerning both these troublesome events."

At his aunt's nod, Harry went ahead and launched into the same retelling of the troll incident he'd given to his fellow students in the Great Hall that night. Then he moved forward to an account of his taking letters addressed to both her and Uncle Ted and Nymph, the hallway scuffle that Percy had interrupted, and the reactions afterward that both the professors went through. Andy offered all three of them grateful smiles, before turning another dire look at the Gryffindor would-be bullies. The two on either end gave their friend in the middle a nudge, and after a quick gulp, he got started on a heavily stuttered story about wanting to ask Harry to not make anymore public insults towards their house, only for things to get out of hand. Professor Snape snorted at that, and Andy shocked everyone by reaching over and giving his arm an admonishing whack.

"What punishment has been assigned to them?"

"A full month of detentions overseen by myself," Snape told her, scowling as he took a subtle step out of arm's reach. "Followed by an additional two months of no Hogsmeade visits. Is that acceptable for you, Madam Tonks?"

"It is," Andy said, nodding decisively before her gaze zeroed in on the Headmaster again. "And the troll matter, Albus?"

"I have done a full review of the Hogwarts ward system and repaired the damaged section where the troll was able to enter. There will also be scans of the countryside to make sure there are no others living too close to the school."

"Fair enough. And as for whoever was responsible for bringing the creature into the dungeons in the first place?"

Dumbledore coughed. "Perhaps, my dear, since this does not concern last night's incident, we can allow the students to depart?"

"The Gryffindors, yes, but Harry stays." Andy gave her nephew's shoulder a pat. "We can hardly claim this doesn't concern _him_ , after all."

"...Of course not."

-H&N-

Harry didn't rejoin his classmates until lunch time, by which point, Draco was visibly ready to throttle him if the dark-haired boy didn't share an account of what had happened.

"Aunt Andy wants to pull me out of school."

Draco's jaw dropped, as did most of the cutlery being held by the other Slytherins and the glass of pumpkin juice Greg had been about to drink from. The large boy hardly noticed the large stain added to his lap, instead focusing on Harry along with everyone else. "What did you _do?!"_

"It's not about what I did! She's furious about Dumbledore's scheming, his decision to use me as bait in this plot involving the third floor corridor, and his attempt to get her to give me up to my mother's relatives." Scowling, Harry stabbed at his food. "I talked to her and Professor Snape in private, and we convinced her not to make any decisions before Uncle Ted and my godfather get a chance to debate it with the three of us as well."

"Your godfather?" Daphne asked, frowning. "Who's that?"

"Sirius Black-" Harry threw up his hands in the air at the renewed round of falling forks and knives. "What is with you people today?"

"Alright, hold on just a moment here," Draco tried to intervene and cut off the surprised inquiries about Sirius. "We need more details about the Headmaster's scheming if we're going to make sure you stay put here in Hogwarts."

"I can't _say_ more - I practically had to swear an Oath not to talk about the details just so I wouldn't be sent out of the room."

" _Talk_ about?" All heads swivelled to look at Millicent. "What about, _write?"_

Slowly, a grin stretched across Harry's face. "No, they never made me promise not to write about it." Instantly, Blaise snatched a self-inking quill and length of blank parchment from his bag, dropping them in front of Harry though not, at least, directly on his plate. The boy didn't have much chance to eat anymore during the meal, as he was too busy scribbling out an account of all he'd heard that morning in Dumbledore's office.

 _He's hiding the Philosopher's Stone made by Nicholas Flamel up there._

 _The teachers all made traps to protect it, but weren't told about each other's defenses._

 _Both Snape and McGonagall were pretty upset to learn it was all Dumbledore's idea, not Flamel's._

 _He thinks some shade of Voldemort is still around, potentially able to return, and wanted bait to lure it here. Oh, and waited until this year to do so, since I'd finally be at Hogwarts too, and could double the temptation._

 _Dumbledore thinks the Dark Tosser has a spy among the teaching staff, and that they're the one who let the troll in as a distraction. Having it come after me was apparently coincidence._

 _I honestly thought Aunt Andy was going to hex the old man then and there in his office._

"Bloody hell, Potter," Theo groused, handing back the parchment as he'd been the last to read it. "What made you barmy enough to share all this with us? Half our parents worked for the Dark Lord in the war, remember?"

"So I should automatically assume you all want to follow in their footsteps? Please," Harry snorted. "That nutter was killing almost as many of his own people by the end as he was of the rest of the population. It wasn't until he was gone that your families started rebuilding and expanding their wealth, anyway - war's bad for business, peace isn't."

"Depends on what business you're in," Daphne pointed out.

"And all of your parents are now invested in markets that need customers - more than half of the current generation here in Hogwarts are Muggleborn and Halfblood, do you realize that? Who would the Purebloods sell their goods to if those populations were to all be killed off or driven out?" Harry shook his head as all the children around him who'd grown up in privileged lifestyles considered that avenue of thought. "I asked my Aunt and Uncle questions like these years ago, mates. The conclusion I came to then was that the Dark Lord was mad and only wanted to cause chaos he could rule over. There was no end-goal for his agenda. How a bunch of Slytherins, who are supposed to be the _cunning_ people who _plan ahead_ wound up following him, I'll never understand."

"...When you think about it, he's right," Draco admitted to the others. "And if Dumbledore's suspicions are right, in that the Dark Lord might come back, we'd be better off getting as far away from him as possible."

The rest of the day passed quietly after that. Quite a few people tried to corner Harry to ask him how his aunt's visit had gone, but after everything else he'd gone through that school year the boy was quickly learning how to avoid them. Fred and George Weasley proved to be a great help - when they talked to him on the way to dinner that evening, both promised to show the first year some secret passages he could use to escape more easily. Harry genuinely thanked them, but also reminded himself to also check said passages before going through them to make sure no surprises had been left for him by the twins...

-H&N-

 _Dear Hairball,_

 _When I decided to surprise Mum and Dad by coming home for dinner last night, I admit I was not expecting to get pulled into the debate between them and Padfoot of whether or not to let you stay at Hogwarts. I was more than a little shocked, and wondered what in Merlin's name you'd pulled before they had a chance to explain everything._

 _You doing alright, kiddo?_

 _I won't object at all if you'd like me to set my mentor on the Headmaster - Mad-eye may be bonkers and a hard-core Dumbledore follower, but even he draws the line at pulling kids into the firing line before they've had a chance to learn about Constant Vigilance._

 _Expect a mirror call from the old dog sometime in the next couple days, and don't hesitate to summon reinforcements if you need them!_

 _Love, your big sis,_

 _Nymph_

-H&N-

"Honestly, pup, I may have encouraged your inner Gryffindor tendencies when you were younger, but taking on a troll at age eleven is a bit more than even I'd recommend!"

"Padfoot, I did _not-"_

"I know, I know, you'd been minding your own business when the creature came and found you." Sirius peered at him through the mirror. "You really are alright, though? I heard about the bullies, too..."

Shaking his head, Harry smiled, tucking the device a little closer to his chest where he sat beneath his Invisibility Cloak. "Has anyone ever said you're a mother hen, Padfoot? I'm okay, there's no lasting damage, from either event."

"If you say so. And I'm not mother-henning you, I'm just concerned!"

"Uh-huh, a likely story. So," Harry changed to subject, suddenly nervous. "What's the verdict about my schooling arrangements?"

Sirius sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "We couldn't come up with one. I offered to bring in Moony and some others I know to homeschool you, but also pointed out that there's every chance trouble could just follow you from Hogwarts. Ted was on the fence for most of it, I think he's still mulling over the pros and cons. As for Andy, she hardly stopped talking about what needs to be done to the house to increase security."

"And Nymph? She sent me a letter saying she'd come to dinner and got involved in all this..."

"Ah, now there's a girl who should've been a Gryff if ever there was one. She argued hardest against your aunt to keep you at school, first citing adolescent developmental stuff I didn't catch a lot of, then bring up the argument that if you're still there, then we'll _know_ the Dark Tosser is too, whereas if you move then we won't know which way to look."

"She also wrote something about bringing her Auror mentor into it?" At that, Sirius startled him by breaking out into cackles.

"Oh, I'd _love_ to set good old Mad-eye loose on this mess, but if he comes anywhere near the house he'd be liable to pick up some trace of me from my visits, and then we'd _really_ be in trouble. If I had ten minutes to talk to the lunatic, I could probably convince him of my innocence. Only trouble is-"

"He's not the sort to let you get ten seconds, let alone minutes, right?"

"Mm-hm."

"...Padfoot? I told my friends about this."

"Mm? Oh, good, wouldn't hurt to get those Gryffindor boys on board with you and Draco-"

"Not just them - I didn't tell Ron and Neville until we met up in class today. I meant my housemates, the other Slytherin first years."

Sirius blinked. "You did- are you- Harry, are you sure that was wise?"

The boy shrugged. "I got them all thinking, which was one of my goals for the year. I dunno if I'd have any luck with the older students, by my yearmates at least are aware of the real potentials of signing on with any up-and-coming Dark Lords."

"Well... Good for you. If you're willing to trust a bunch of snakelings and get them away from potential Darkness, I won't stand in your way."

"Thanks, Padfoot."

"Anytime, kiddo."


End file.
